Nail-file or similar instrument.



E. RUETTGERS.

NAIL FILE 0R SIMILAR INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 19, 1907,.

Patented 0013.20, 190s..

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ERNST RUETTGERS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

NAIL-FILE OR SIMILAR INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 19, 1907.

Patented Oct. 20, 1908.

Serial No. 407,110.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNST Runrrenns, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Nail-Files orSimilar Instruments, of which the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a partthereof.

My invention relates to improvements in nail files and similarinstruments, and particularly to a new form and construction of handlestherefor. The handle comprises two sheets of flexible material arrangedone on either side of the tang 0f the instrument, said sheets beingpreferably of a greater width than the said tang, and a binding stripU-shaped in cross section which surrounds and tightly engages the saidsheets. The tang is preferably of a width less than the width of thesheets and is also preferably provided with a recess along one edgethereof, the sheets being provided with a corresponding recess, wherebyu on engaging the binding strip tightly aroun the edges of the sheetsthe sheets will be pinched together over the edges of the tang 1n such amanner as to retain the parts very tightly in position.

The object of my invention is to construct a simple and inexpensive formof handle for instruments of this character and one which will besecurely held in position so that it will not be liable to accidentaldisplacement, and further one which will readily lend itself toinexpensive decoration, or, if preferred, the carrying of advertisingmatter.

In order that my invention may be fully understood I will now proceed todescribe an embodiment thereof, having reference to the accompanyingdrawings illustrating the same, and will then point out the novelfeatures in claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a face view of V a nail file provided withahandle constituting an embodiment of my invention. Fig. 2 is an edgeview of the same. Figs. 3 and 4. are transverse sectional views upon theplane of the line 4-4 of Fig. 1 showing the handle as in the process ofconstruction and as completed respectively. Fig. 5 is a detail viewshowing a portion of the file and the handle therefor in centrallongitudinal section. 1

While I have illustrated my invention in connection with a nail file, itwill be under stood that such is but one of many adaptations of thesame, and that in so describing and illustrating the invention I by nomeans w1sh to be limited to such use.

The nail file illustrated comprises the main I or body file portion 6,and a tang 7. The tang is of considerably less width than the main orbody portion and is further provided with a recess 8 along one edgethereof, as is clearly shown in Fig. 5. Two sheets of flexible material.99 are disposed upon either side of the said tang, the width of the saidsheets being greater than the width of the tang, such width in thepresent instance, being substantially the width of the body portion ofthe instrument at a point cont1guous to the handle. These sheets arealso provided with recesses 10 corresponding with, and arranged oppositeto, the recess 8 of the tang 7. A binding stri 11 surrounds the edges ofthe sheets 9, f0 lowing the contour thereof, as will be readilyunderstood by reference to the drawings. This binding strip when firstput in place is sufficiently open to readily receive the edges of thestrips, as is shown in Fig. 3; but after being thus placed in positionit is stamped down so as to tightly engage the edges of the sheets andto pinch them together beyond the edges of the tang, as clearly ap earsin Fig. 4. The result of this is to ho d the parts very tightly inposition, this effect being enhanced by the recessed portion of the tang8 and the corresponding recesses 10 in the edges of the sheets 9. Infact, when such recess is employed the locking effect is so great as tomake it almost impossible to withdraw the handle except by breaking orstraining some part of it.

The sheets 9 may be of any suitable material. They may be thin sheetmetal, if desired, or may be of some such material as celluloid. It willbe seen that sheets of this form readily lend themselves to inexpensivedecoration, because such decoration may readily be stamped therein whilein the sheet form. Advertisements, furthermore, may be readily impressedupon the sheets in this manner if desired, or if such material ascelluloid be employed advertisements may readily be printed thereon. Forthe more expensive instruments, I may use a precious metal for the sideplates, if preferred, and similarly the binding strip 11 may be of anysuitable metal as may be desired.

What I claim is:

l. A handle for a nail file or similar instrument having a tangcomprising two sheets of flexible material arranged one upon either sideof the tang, and a binding strip U-shaped in cross section surroundingand tightly engaging the edges of the said sheets.

2. A handle for a nail file or similar instrument having a tangcomprising two sheets of flexible material arranged one upon either sideof the tang, said sheets being of greater width than the said tang, anda binding strip U-shaped in cross section surrounding and tightlyengaging the edges oi the said sheets, whereby the edges of the saidsheets are pinched together beyond the edges of the said tang.

3. A handle for a nail file or similar instrument having a tang with alateral recess comprising two sheets of flexible material arranged oneupon either side of the tang, said sheets having a recessed portionalong one edge thereof co-incident with the recess in the tang, and abinding strip U-sha ed in cross section surrounding and tight y engagingthe edges of the said sheets.

4. The combination with anail file or similar instrument provided with atang having a lateral recess, of a handle therefor comprising two sheetsof flexible material arranged one on either side of the said tang, saidsheets being of a width greater than the width of the said tang, andhaving a recess along one edge thereof co-incident with the recess inthe said tang, and a binding strip U-shaped in cross section surroundingand tightly engaging the edges 01" the said sheets, whereby they will bepinched together beyond the edges of the said tang.

ERNST RUETTGERS.

/Vitnesses D. HOWARD HAYWOOD, LYMAN S. ANDREWS, Jr.

